


Reading Between the Lines

by VeryMauk_aGast



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Awkwardness, Books, First Kiss, Frottage, Getting Together, M/M, Magic, Making Out, Self-conscious Fjord, bookstore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2020-08-10 01:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20127196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryMauk_aGast/pseuds/VeryMauk_aGast
Summary: When Caleb asked Fjord to go looking for bookstores for him in Zadash, Fjord never thought he would stumble on something quite so magical. But the bookstore ‘Bound in Dreams’ captures Fjord’s attention and his curiosity.





	1. Chapter 1

Fjord knew he was smitten when he found himself volunteering to go on a shopping trip. Shopping trips were just another errand. And with Jester and Nott to wrangle, it was a chore that Fjord didn’t want to get wrapped up in. Jester was busy babbling about all of the new clothes she wanted to buy, and her excitement nearly drowned out the small human beside Fjord.

“Erm, Fjord? Are you going shopping as well?”

Fjord glanced over to see Caleb looking down at the table, fiddling with his coat sleeves. “I guess I can. Why?”

“I was hoping that you might look for a bookshop while you are out. If it’s not too much trouble,” he asked softy with a small spark of hope in his eyes. Caleb always got so excited when he talked about his books. It made Fjord’s lips curl up into a smile. 

“I think that’s doable, Caleb.”

“_Danke_, Fjord. I would go myself, but I have a few spells that I need to transcribe.”

“And bringing Frumpkin back,” Fjord reminded him gently. The poor little cat had been obliterated by a well-placed kick from some fuckwad Crown’s Guard. 

Caleb sighed. “_Ja_, that, too. I will need to purchase more incense tomorrow as well. If you find a place that sells it for a good price, please let me know.”

“Can do, Caleb.”

“Fjooooooord, are you coming with us?!” Jester squealed happily, crowding into Fjord’s personal space and making no effort to contain the fact that she’d been eavesdropping.

“Yeah, I’ll come. Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you anyway.”

Jester snorted with a playful eye roll. “You can certainly try!”

Fjord glanced at Caleb out of the corner of his eye. The wizard just smiled. It was small, and hesitant, more a crinkling around his eyes than anything with his mouth, but it still made Fjord’s heart flutter all the same. “Keep an eye on Nott, too. She’s got, erm, sticky fingers,” Caleb said.

“I’d noticed,” Fjord hummed thoughtfully thinking about when Molly had caught the goblin trying to steal his letter to the Soltryce Academy. “No worries,” he said rolling his shoulders back to sit up a little straighter, “I’ll keep them out of trouble.”

***

For all of Jester’s talk, the trip was relatively uneventful. Sure, the tiefling had rearranged several shelves and painted a dick onto the counter of the blacksmith shop, but overall nothing too bad. Nott hadn’t even stolen anything. Well, at least that Fjord had seen. She probably wouldn’t advertise her success to Fjord if she had managed to knick something. Oh well. Win and lose. He’d take the wins. 

The whole day Fjord kept his eyes peeled for any bookstores. He asked all the shopkeepers, and finally had a couple leads from a friendly gnome while they waited in line at the pastry shop.

“Bound in Dreams?” he said with a frown.

“Oh, yes,” the older gnome said, “it’s got lots of books for the curious minds.” When Fjord gave him another puzzled look, the gnome grinned wider. “But, I suppose if you’re looking for something a little more tame you could try Cover To Cover. Their stuff is a little more mainstream.”

“Where are they at?”

“Cover to Cover is just up the block on the left. Can’t miss it. Bound in Dreams is in the Eastern district by the tower. It’s a small place, but you’ll see the sign. Black with gold letters.”

“Much obliged. Thank you kindly.”

***

The Cover To Cover bookstore was pretty basic as far as Fjord knew. He wasn’t really sure what all Caleb was looking for, but the store seemed quiet and nice. Right up the wizard’s alley. The shopkeeper was a frizzy-haired human who looked like she was needed either a cup of coffee or a good night’s sleep. Fjord walked up to her. “Hello, ma’am. I have a friend who’s interested in the arcane. Got anything that might catch his attention?”

“Well, we certainly have lots of books!” she said, seeming to dodge the question. “You want arcane? We have all the history books you could dream of! History of Zadash, history of the Soltryce Academy, history of the Empire, we got it!” 

Her rambling seemed to be going off topic. Caleb would probably read any books he could get his hands on though. Fjord should probably just tell Caleb where the place was at and let him pick his own reading material… But Fjord wanted to surprise him. Wanted to see the human smile again. “Thanks. I’ll take a look around.”

Fjord browsed up and down the aisles for a few minutes, picking up any book that seemed to have an interesting cover. Probably not the best way to find a book, but it beat looking at each individual title. He finally found one that Caleb might actually want to read. _ Quick Transcription: The Arcane in a Pinch _. Not that Caleb needed any instruction in the art of magic. The wizard was incredibly gifted. But maybe it would have additional information for him. Maybe Nott would know whether or not Caleb had read it before. 

He found her hunkered in a back corner. “Nott?”

The goblin squeaked, jumping around as a small book fell out of the insides of her cloak. “Haha, hey, Fjord.”

“Nott… What did we say?”

“I was going to buy it,” she said defensively.

“Sure. What’d ya find?” Fjord asked picking it up to have a closer look. It was a simple red-leather book with a silver title that read, _ The Magic of the Heart_. He flipped through the first couple of pages to see that it was a simple advice book with suggestions for romance.

Fjord grinned at Nott and handed it back to her. “You got a secret crush on someone?”

Nott rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not for me.”

“Who’s it for then?”

“Caleb.”

That really puzzled Fjord. “Really? Doesn’t seem like it’s up his alley…”

Nott stared at him incredulously. “I’d say it’s precisely what he needs,” she said with a strange little smirk.

“If you say so,” Fjord said scratching his head, but shrugging it off. “C’mon. Let’s find Jester and head back.”

***

When they got back to the inn, Fjord watched Nott and Jester go back inside before heading down to the Eastern district. He wanted to check out the other store before it closed, but the other two had insisted they were done for the evening. Oh well. It would be easier to browse without worrying about their shenanigans and hijinks. 

After a bit of wandering, and several unhelpful sets of directions, Fjord finally found his way to the store. It was a small shop, but the sign was beautifully painted with scrawling script reading ‘Bound in Dreams’. A feathered quill perched on the top of an open book was exquisitely drawn beneath the writing. The windows flickered in the dusky light of the incoming night.

A cheerful ding of bells accompanied his entrance to the store. It had a comfortable atmosphere. The flickering lanterns glowed with some sort of arcane energy similar to the floating lights that Caleb provided the group in their adventures. The place smelled like parchment, leather, and the faint scent of vanilla. Tall shelves of meticulously organized books lined the room. There were no names on the spines, and everything seemed to be covered in either neutral colors or shimmery metallics. 

“Can I help you find something?” a soft, lilting voice emerged from a back corner. A brown-skinned, lithe elvish man seemed to emerge from thin air with a smile. “My name is Elohir,” he said as he approached Fjord.

“Fjord,” he replied, holding out his hand for the man to shake. 

Elohir glanced at it with a strange look before shaking it. “Fjord. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine. I’m new to the city, and one of my friends wanted me to look for books for him. Someone recommended taking a look at your shop.” 

The elf chuckled lightly. “Did they now? Something tells you they didn’t tell you the...speciality… of this store.”

“Uh… books?”

“Yes. Clearly. However, this is a store for individuals with very particular reading interests.”

“Particular how?”

“We specialize in fantasy,” he spoke softly and evenly, watching Fjord’s face, “and vivid depictions of romance.”

Oh. A smut shop. Fjord’s face immediately went red with a blush that he couldn’t even pretend to hide. “Ah. Well, that is mighty fine,” he mumbled.

Elohir tilted his head curiously. “You’re not very experienced in the realm of romance, are you, Fjord?” 

“What?! I- uh- I-” he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Was this man reading his thoughts or something? “What- what makes you say that?”

“It is just your energy,” he replied calmly. “If you’re interested, I can give you a full reading.” 

“Reading?”

“Yes. It will help me to determine what kind of book will best suit your needs.”

Fjord was a bit flabbergasted, but nodded like he knew what the elvish man was talking about. Elohir was enchanting, and Fjord couldn’t help but be curious. “How much?”

“For a first time customer, it is free.”

“Guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Fjord said after a brief beat of hesitation.

Elohir gestured to a corner with two chairs and a small card table. Fjord followed and sat as Elohir took out a sketch book similar to Jester’s, a tray of multi-colored ink wells, and several paint brushes. “So, uh, how’s this work?” Fjord asked watching Elohir draw a couple of test circles on the page. 

“I will ask you some questions, and I need you to answer them as honestly as you can,” he said setting the quill down. “But first, please give me your hand palm up.”

Fjord held out his left hand to the elf, keeping his right hand at the ready to summon the falchion in case things started getting fishy. This was already a little weird, but Fjord was too intrigued to leave.

Elohir cupped Fjord’s large hand in both of his as his eyes slid shut. The elf hummed softly with no particular melody. The occasional word slipped in, but Fjord didn’t think they were anything in Common. Fjord kept himself on guard, trying to make sure that his mind wasn’t being invaded, but nothing truly strange happened, and he didn’t feel threatened at all. After about a minute passed, Elohir’s eyes opened again and he let go of Fjord’s hand. “Thank you,” he said breezily. “Now, on to the fun part.” Fjord watched as the elf picked up a brush, angling his book away from Fjord’s eyes to begin writing or sketching something. Fjord tried to peer over the edge, but Elohir shook his head. “Ah ah,” he chided gently, “the fun is in the surprise.”

Fjord sighed, but settled back in his chair to wait. 

“So, Fjord, who sent you here today?” 

“Some older gnome guy. Didn’t catch his name.”

“No, I mean which friend sent you to search for the books,” Elohir clarified glancing up as his hand continued to sketch.

  
“Oh. His name’s Caleb.”

“How long have you loved him?” 

The question completely took Fjord off guard. “Wh-what?” 

“I was perfectly clear with my question,” Elohir said kindly. “Your energy is full of the signs.” 

“I- I don’t love him!” Fjord protested, even though he knew it was a lie.

“For this reading to work completely, honesty is a necessary component,” Elohir responded going back to his sketch. “Do not worry. Anything you say here will only be heard by me.”

Fjord hesitated wracking his brain for how the hell this stranger knew something so intimate about his personal life. “I- I guess it’s been for a few months.”

“And you haven’t acted on it?”

“I don’t think he’s particularly interested in me one way or another,” Fjord said quietly. “At least not romantically.”

“Hmmm… You might be surprised, you know. We all like to pretend that we know precisely what others are thinking, but it is often not in our best interests.”

That made a surprising amount of sense. 

“He’s a bit damaged, yes?”

“What the hell does that mean?” Fjord asked with a growl, neck bristling.

“Please do not take offense,” Elohir said calmly. “It’s clear that you care for him a great deal. You want to help heal him. Take his burdens away. You have a good soul, Fjord.”

This was weird. Fjord shook his head in amazement, unable to say anything.

Elohir paused for a moment to switch colors. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he cares for you, too. People with good souls tend to draw love from even the most unyielding sources.”

“I really doubt it…But I hope you’re right,” Fjord said softly. “It’s not like he’s just uncaring though. He’s careful is all. Doesn’t like people to get too close. Thinks he’ll only hurt them. But, he does care about us. Just not really the romantic sort, I guess.” Fjord could feel himself starting to ramble.

“What is your favorite thing about him?” Elohir asked, picking up a new paintbrush with a different color.

Fjord sighed and closed his eyes and pictured Caleb. “His smile. He doesn’t do it nearly enough.”

“Describe it, please. Be as poetic as possible.”

“Poetic?” Fjord laughed. “I mean… I can try I guess… It’s always small, and kind of timid. Like he’s not sure he should be doing it. Usually it’s like a half-smile, but every once in a while I get a true one from him. His eyes light up, and he’s got a dimple. That true smile is like...well... it’s kind of like sunshine after a really heavy rain.” Fjord could feel his cheeks heating up as he talked. He sounded utterly ridiculous rambling on and on about Caleb like this. “It makes the whole room warmer.”

“It sounds positively lovely,” Elohir whispered.

“It really is… He really is.”

Elohir sighed, and made a handful more brushstrokes on the page. The pair sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes while the elf finished his work. Fjord knew he’d finished when a large grin replaced the concentration. “There we are. I think you will be pleased with the result,” he said confidently, turning the book around with one hand and flicking the other to turn the lights up slightly higher.

Fjord inhaled sharply as he took in the painting. It was Caleb. His Caleb. The wizard was sitting at a table, reading a book. His fingers were trailing over the words on one side and he was scratching Frumpkin’s head with the other hand. Elohir had gotten every single detail correct. From the wizard’s filthy, tattered clothes to Caleb’s messy red hair. Even Frumpkin’s design was spot on. Fjord noticed that Caleb’s mouth was turned up into one of his classic half-smiles. “Wh- H-How?” he stammered in utter amazement. “I didn’t say anything about him.”

Elohir smiled knowingly. “Your reading was full of him. My goddess gifted me with the ability to parse out who a person truly loves, and then reveal it to them. I am grateful for my gift.”

“It’s pretty damn amazing,” Fjord whispered. 

“Now that I’ve convinced you of my unique talents, I have a suggestion for you.” Elohir stood from his chair with the painting in hand, and went to grab one of the books off the shelf. His slender fingers tapped on a few spines as he murmured to himself. “No, no, not this one… Ah ha! Yes. You’re the one.” He pulled a silver book off the shelf that had a black symbol of two hands joined, twined together with ivy vines. “This is the one,” he repeated to Fjord. “You should give this one to your Caleb,” he said confidently.

“What’s it about?” 

“Do you trust me?”

Fjord looked at Elohir. The elf’s eyes were sparkling with the same sort of magical spark that Caleb got when he was talking about the arcane. It was familiar, and Fjord was too curious to say no. “I suppose.” Elohir was clearly good at his job. If he thought that Caleb would like the book, he wasn’t going to say no. 

“Perfect. I’ll just need a moment to wrap it up. This way,” he tilted his head towards the counter. Fjord obediently walked over as Elohir sauntered to the opposite side. He laid the book on the counter, and placed both hands over the cover. The elf closed his eyes and murmured a few words Fjord didn’t understand. Suddenly warm light sprung from his palms and wove its way through the book. Fjord watched in amazement as a slim, leather latch with a metal lock emerged from the cover, and a small silver key plunked to the counter top. Elohir opened his eyes and grinned. “Wonderful!” He took a few moments to put the book in some thin paper and place it into a delicate looking white paper bag. With another flick of his fingers the painting of Caleb rolled itself up and a thin blue ribbon materialized around the scroll, tying into a perfect bow. “Alright. This book will be ten gold pieces.”

Fjord sighed and ran his hand through the short hair on the top of his head. He supposed that wasn’t utterly insane, especially with whatever weird magic the elf had just done with the lock. “Better be some damn good smut,” he chuckled pulling out his coin purse. 

“I assure you he will like it,” Elohir smiled. “If he doesn’t, he merely needs to come return it within the week, and I’ll give him a replacement. Or if you come back with it, I’ll give you your money back.”

“Alright. Guess that makes sense,” he said pushing the stack of coins across the counter. “You really won’t tell me what it’s about?” 

“Nothing’s stopping you from reading it,” Elohir said as he put the coins behind the counter and handed Fjord the bag in one hand and pressed the small key into his other palm along with the scroll. “But, I think that it would be more interesting if he reads it first...”

Fjord nodded as he absentmindedly tucked the painting into his belt. He really didn’t know why, but he did trust Elohir’s judgement. “Alright… Thank you for the experience.”

“But of course. Please feel free to send any of your friends my way, and come back again soon.”

“Sure thing,” he replied. “See ya ‘round.” 

***

When Fjord got back to the inn, the sun had set, and the bar was relatively quiet. He nodded to Yasha and Caduceus who were sipping tea on one side, and moved over to where Caleb was sitting at a table a few feet away from them completely absorbed in his book, scratching Frumpkin’s head. Fjord let out a small gasp of realization as his hand flew to his belt where the scroll was safely nestled away. 

Holy shit. It was the exact image from the painting that Elohir had given him, right down to the soft half-smile. Fjord gaped for a few seconds before he shook himself out of the stupor. He took a deep breath and pulled the two books out of his bag as he approached the table. “Hey, Caleb,” he grinned, plunking himself in a chair across from the human. 

Caleb glanced up from his book, and Fjord cheered internally when the half-smile got a little wider in response to Fjord. “Hello, Fjord.” Frumpkin meowed softly beside them, getting up and pressing his head into Fjord’s arm on the table. Fjord’s nose twitched a little, but he ignored it to instead give Frumpkin a small scratch under the chin before the little cat went back to Caleb’s side. “Nott said that you went to find another bookstore?” 

“Yeah. Did she give you your present already? She got a book for you,” Fjord said as his eyes made contact with the small red book under Frumpkin’s paws. 

Caleb chuckled. “_Ja_, she did.”

“Good. Well, I uh, got you a couple, too,” Fjord said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Just, you know, as a gift.”

Caleb’s cheeks turned the slightest bit pink. “Oh, Fjord, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Wanted to,” he said, trying to make it sound effortless as he put the book about magic on the table. “This one’s from the shop Nott went to. Hopefully you haven’t read it yet.”

Caleb’s eyes went wide and his face lit up with a grin as he read the title. “_Danke_! This is fantastic, Fjord. You are too kind to me.”

“Nonsense,” Fjord said as he pushed the bag with the other book forward. “Here,” he said, holding out the key in his palm for Caleb to take it. The wizard looked intrigued as he took it. “It’s for the book in there,” Fjord explained. 

Caleb quickly slid his hand into the bag to pull out the parchment wrapped book. He unwrapped it quickly, but methodically so that he wouldn’t accidentally crumple or rip the paper.

“Oh, Fjord. This is beautiful,” he whispered, as he withdrew the silver book. He reverently ran his hands over the soft leather binding as he investigated the symbol on the front. “Where did you get this?”

“Some store called ‘Bound in Dreams’. It was an interesting experience for sure,” Fjord said.

“It doesn’t have a title. What is it about?” Caleb asked curiously, turning it over and over in his palms. 

“I honestly have no idea. The shopkeeper asked me a few questions, and then suggested this one for you. Said it’d be more interesting if it was a secret.” Caleb blue eyes sparked brilliantly with curiosity. “He, uh… He did say the store was a, umm… Fantasy...romance sort of shop,” Fjord blurted as his cheeks heated up. “Just so you’re not taken completely off guard.”

The human looked surprised at that. The surprise melted away into something that looked a bit more mischievous. “I am a bit surprised, Fjord,” he said. “You’ve never really shown an interest in reading such as this before.”

Fjord could feel his cheeks heating up as he scrambled for words. “Well, uh, I didn’t exactly know what they sold until I was already there, and the shopkeeper was really kinda weird, but in a good way, and he was saying all this stuff about a ‘reading’, and then before I knew it he’d...made a recommendation…” Gods. He sounded like such a bumbling idiot. Who the hell just went out and bought smutty novels for their totally platonic friends? There was no way to explain it without it being weird. _ Hey Caleb, I think you’re the best, and I really, really like you so I bought you smut while I rambled on and on about your smile to a stranger. _Right. That would be great. 

Caleb chuckled softly, shaking his head and simultaneously stopping Fjord’s internal beratings. “Thank you. I’m sure it will be a good read. I’ll let you know soon.”

“Yep. Alright,” Fjord said awkwardly. “I, uh, I can show you where the stores are at tomorrow if you want to go get more. 

“Thank you, Fjord. That would be nice.”

“Right… I’m gonna be off go to bed then. G’night, Caleb.”

“Goodnight, Fjord.”

***

Breakfast the next morning was noticeably missing one scrawny wizard. “Caleb still asleep?” he asked Nott as she plopped down in her chair with a plate full of bacon. 

Nott shrugged. “Not sure. I spent the night in Jester’s room. But I bet he spent all night reading.”

Fjord sighed. Damn it all. Caleb didn’t sleep enough as it was. He really didn’t need to push himself like that. Fjord felt kind of bad. He should have given Caleb those books during the day so he wouldn’t stay up all night. 

“From the sounds of it, he’s _ really _ into his reading,” Jester said with a playful wiggle, tail whipping around behind her.

“What do ya mean?”

She giggled and cupped her chin in both of her hands. “He sounded _ very _enthralled.”

Fjord looked at Nott for clarification, but she just shrugged again. “You can go check on him if you’re worried,” Nott said, cramming more bacon into her mouth. 

“Guess I don’t want him to miss breakfast,” Fjord said, heading upstairs. Jester just giggled behind him. He wasn’t sure what to think about that. 

Fjord found his way to Caleb’s room and paused to listen at the door for a moment. He didn’t hear much of anything at first. But then a couple of small gasps emerged followed by quiet Zemnian words that Fjord didn’t understand. He frowned as he knocked on the door three times. The room went deathly quiet before he heard Caleb speak. “_Ja?_” 

“Caleb? We’re all downstairs for breakfast. You should come eat.”

Another long pause hit the hallway. “_Ja. _I will come down in a bit.”

“Alright…” Fjord wanted to poke his head into the room and just check on Caleb, but that would have been extremely rude. Caleb hadn’t invited him in. “See you soon.”

Soon wound up being another twenty minutes. By that time, most of the others had wandered off to go do various activities around the city. Fjord opted to wait in case Caleb wanted to go with him. But as the wizard emerged, Fjord didn’t think he’d want to go anywhere. 

The human’s face was flushed red, and he wouldn’t make eye contact with Fjord as he sat down. His reddish-brown hair was messy, and a faint sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

“Caleb?” Fjord asked gently. “Are you okay? You look... off.”

Caleb reached into his coat and set the silver book on the table, still avoiding Fjord’s eyes. “Just, um, doing some reading,” he said to the table top. 

_ Oh_. That made more sense. Caleb was showing physical signs of exertion… _ Oh_. He’d been getting himself off. Fjord’s blush matched Caleb’s now that he’d come to the realization. “Ah. Was it...good?” he asked awkwardly. 

“That would be an understatement, yes,” Caleb admitted, fingering the edge of the book. 

“Well… That’s good then. Glad you liked it.”

“You really don’t know what it’s about?” Caleb asked quietly, finally lifting his eyes to meet Fjord’s. 

Fjord shook his head. “No. Elohir just said he thought you’d like it.”

Caleb hummed softly, pushing the book towards Fjord. “I think that you should read it…”

“Oh! Uh, that kind of reading’s not really my style, Cay,” Fjord fumbled with embarrassment. 

“Really,” Caleb insisted, “just the first few pages. It is...intriguing.”  


Well… Fjord was a little curious. And if Caleb had really enjoyed it all that much, it must have been pretty good. “Alright. Why don’t you get some food, and I’ll take a look?” Caleb nodded and handed Fjord the key as he went to order his breakfast.

Fjord took the key and unlocked the cover of the book. It really was a beautiful piece of art. He flipped it open to the first page and saw the title. “Fire and Water.” Huh. That seemed weird. Oh well. All these novels always had cheesy names. Fjord steeled his nerves. How bad could the first chapter be, anyway?

_ The moons illuminated the room as fervent hands explored smooth, pale skin. _

_ “Fjord,” the human gasped in ecstasy, whimpering when the half-orc’s hands slipped down his chest. _

_ “I’m right here, Caleb,” Fjord purred into the wizard’s ear. “Gonna take care of you.” _

Fjord’s blood went ice-cold and then red-hot. Holy. Shit. 

He scrubbed at his eyes. He had to be imagining things. There was absolutely no way he’d just read that. He frantically skimmed the first page again. No. It was there in ink on the page. Shit. He flipped through the pages and stopped in horror when he saw an illustration. Caleb was pinned underneath Fjord on a large bed as the pair had their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Fuck. Another illustration several pages later depicted Caleb naked and straddling Fjord’s hips with a _ very _explicit image of the human moaning and grinding himself down on Fjord.

Fjord slammed the book shut as his breathing went heavy. No, no, no! Fuck. This was horrifying. He’d given this to Caleb. Caleb had _ read _ it. Oh, gods. Fjord wanted to walk out the door and never come back. 

Just as he was contemplating doing exactly that, Caleb returned to sit in front of him. Fjord couldn’t look at him. “Gods, Caleb, I- I don’t know what to say,” he stammered. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea, I swear! I- I… I don’t know.”

Caleb reached out and pressed a hand on Fjord’s arm. Fjord shuddered at the touch. “Fjord, it’s okay. I believe you. It’s okay, really.”

Fjord couldn’t make his mouth work. 

“I… Um, I told you that I...enjoyed it,” Caleb said meekly, “and that is the truth. I’m not sure what type of magic this Elohir used, but it is not unlike things that I have thought about before.”

Fjord risked a glance upwards, meeting Caleb’s bright blue eyes with his. “You’ve thought about that? About...me?”

Caleb nodded sheepishly. “_Ja_. I have for a while. But I didn’t think that you would return my feelings. I suppose I’m still worried about that,” he admitted.

“Caleb…”

“It is fine if you do not feel similarly,” he said quickly, trying to backtrack and build walls up to protect himself. “I would understand completely, and we can pretend that this never happened, and then it could go back to sort of normal…” Caleb rambled on a little longer, but Fjord didn’t comprehend any of it.  


Caleb liked him. Caleb _ wanted _him. He’d spent all this time worrying for nothing. All that time spent pining over Caleb without ever having the balls to tell him… Fjord wanted to stop wasting time now. He carefully put up a hand to quiet him. Caleb stopped talking as he watched Fjord. Fjord took a deep breath before finding his words. “Stop worryin’ so much. Caleb, I’ve liked you for a long time. Too long. Should have said something sooner. Can’t believe it took some creepy book magic to come to this,” he chuckled letting his hand come down. 

Caleb’s smile really, truly did light up the room. And Fjord was immensely pleased that he could be the cause of something so wonderful. “Ah. I must say, hearing that is immensely relieving.”

Fjord gulped and swallowed to try and soothe the storm of butterflies in his stomach. “Caleb, can I- can I kiss you?” he asked tentatively. 

“I would like that very much, Fjord,” Caleb responded breathlessly. 

Fjord leaned over the table to close the distance, and Caleb met him halfway. Their lips pressed together softly. Caleb was warm, and it was everything Fjord dreamed it would be.

“Caleb and Fjooooord, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” The lilting voice of Jester echoed through the dull clatter of breakfast activities in the room. Guess she hadn’t left yet after all.

“Shit,” Fjord mumbled against Caleb’s lips as the wizard started chuckling. “Guess we should’ve checked that the room was clear.”

They broke apart to see Jester peering at them over the top of a booth a few down from their table. Nott poked her head out from the side of the booth with a look of apprehension, but it was softened with a toothy grin a few seconds later. Fjord heard Nott mutter something under her breath to Jester, but couldn’t catch what it was. 

Jester gave the pair a sly grin as she hopped out of the booth. “Okay, we’re really going into town now, have fun you two!” she rambled as she pranced out the door with a wave.

Nott followed behind her throwing out a “be safe” as she left. 

Caleb was blushing furiously as he rubbed his forehead. “They mean well…”

Fjord chuckled and plunked back into his seat. “S’pose they do.” Caleb’s fingers danced over a corner of the book as he gave Fjord a sly look. Fjord gave him a quizzical look. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in a quiet day in, would you Caleb?” he asked.

“A day in? _ Ja_. But I’m not entirely sure it will be all that quiet.” The wizard’s reply was soft, but had a small edge of teasing amusement to it.

“Not that quiet, huh?” Fjord said smoothing his short hair back. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you don’t exactly strike me as someone loud.”

“Who said that I was talking about me?” Caleb quipped back with a raised eyebrow. 

Fjord tried to keep the flush off his face and keep his words even. “Well. Guess there’s only one way to find out. If you’re interested, that is.”

Caleb nodded as he stood up and gathered the book into his hand. “_Ja, ja,_” he breathed heavily as he offered Fjord his empty hand. “My room?” 

“Lead the way.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After confessing their mutual feelings, Fjord and Caleb make up for lost time. 
> 
> Here's where it starts to get spicy folks. Enjoy ;)

Nothing could ever compare to the sight of Caleb Widogast. Fjord had decided that long ago, but now it was even more true, and even deeper solidified in his mind. The inn room was sparsely furnished, but Fjord wasn’t focused on the lack of ambiance. All he wanted was Caleb. And it seemed as though the wizard was amenable to that. As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Caleb’s set the silver-bound book on a small nightstand near the bed. He immediately went back to Fjord, and his hands started carefully wandering over Fjord’s chest. Fjord cupped Caleb’s face in his hands to kiss him and tease playfully at his lips. The human groaned into the touches, slim and calloused fingers tightening and winding into the fabric of Fjord’s shirt. Gods, it was so nice to have this sweet luxury.

“Fjord?” Caleb asked softly between the eager pulls of Fjord’s lips. 

“Yeah?”

“Wh-What would you like to do?” Caleb’s voice was breathless, and a little deeper than usual.

Fjord paused and let his hands trail down to Caleb’s sharp hip bones. _ Everything _ . _ Anything. _ Fjord wanted to do absolutely _ everything _with Caleb. Gods, he’d wanted this for so long. And now he had it. Had Caleb. Fjord stepped forward as Caleb set the book onto the table beside him. He raised his hands to carefully caress Caleb’s jaw. “I- I just want…” his sentence trailed off as a nefarious tendril of doubt crept into the room and clutched his heart tightly. 

What did Caleb expect him to want? Fjord gulped, eyes flitting to the silver cover of the supposedly _ very _ enjoyable smut book featuring him and Caleb. What sort of expectations had that book created? Fjord could count on one hand the number of times he’d had _ any _sexual relations with other people, and even fewer had been any good or even enjoyable. What if this book had set the bar too high? What if Fjord in all of his fumbling shortcomings was too inept to reach the bar? Would Caleb still want him?

He must have frozen for longer than he thought, because Caleb’s face contorted with a look of concern. “Fjord? Are you alright?” he asked carefully. 

“Yes! Of course,” Fjord insisted as he tried his best to shake it off. “I just…there are so many things I want to try,” he said honestly. 

Caleb smiled warmly at him, but the edges looked reserved and a bit uncertain. As if he didn’t fully believe Fjord’s half-truth. 

“Caleb,” he said pulling them towards the bed, “can I just… touch you?” 

“_ Ja, _of course, Fjord,” Caleb said as he nodded fervently. 

Fjord carefully, ever so carefully pushed on Caleb’s chest in an encouragement to lie down. The wizard went down without much prompting, maneuvering himself to lay in the center of the bed as Fjord knelt on his hands and knees over him. 

Gods, Caleb was a sight to behold. So lovely. Fjord groaned a little just from the mere vision of lust-blown pupils and that mess of rusty red hair fanned out on the pillows, lips parted slightly with even, shallow breaths entering and escaping. “You’re beautiful, Caleb,” he whispered as he moved a hand to caress Caleb’s cheek and drop a kiss to the other side of his jaw. The feeling of the human’s beard was pleasant against his skin, and it was actually much softer than Fjord had originally anticipated. 

Caleb’s breath hitched, and his pupils went a little wider as the dark swallowed up more of the endless lake of blue when Fjord pulled up from the kiss. Fjord continued with his exploration, layering kiss after kiss onto Caleb’s exposed skin. His face, his neck, the small amount of collarbones that peeked out from his clothes. Fjord’s hand moved to the edges of the fabric of the human’s shirt. “Would you like this off?” he asked as he dared to push a hand under and stroke at the silky smooth skin of Caleb’s lower belly and over to his hips. 

“_ Bitte _.”

Fjord could hear a note of desperation in the small, breathy word. But he wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, and he wasn’t about to take a chance. “Is that a yes?” Fjord asked, pausing the exploration of his hand as he searched the human’s face. 

Caleb smiled affectionately and wrapped a hand in Fjord’s hair to bring him down so that Caleb’s mouth was right next to his ear. “_ Bitte _ means please,” Caleb whispered. Fjord gasped as the gentlest scratch of teeth ran over the edge of his ear. “ _ Please, _ undress me. _ Bitte _.”

Fjord couldn’t help the deep, guttural moan that escaped his lips as he listened to the quiet seduction in Caleb's voice. “Anything for you,” he said as he rucked the rough-spun cloth of Caleb’s tunic up his body to reveal more and more beautifully pale skin. Small smatterings of freckles looked like galaxies of stars adorning Caleb’s body, and Fjord couldn’t help but lean down and drag his lips over a few clusters. Caleb let out a small whine at the sensation as he let Fjord’s name slip loose.

After Fjord was satisfied that he’d properly kissed every single mark on Caleb’s torso and face, he let a hand drift down to the laces of Caleb’s pants. Caleb batted Fjord’s hand away, and just as Fjord was going to ask what was wrong, the human spoke huskily. “Shirt,” he ordered, pulling at the hem of Fjord’s tunic. “It’s only fair.”

Fjord bobbed his head in agreement, relief soothing his anxieties away momentarily. He made quick work of the shirt and tossed it aside to the other side of the room. Caleb nodded in appreciation, and Fjord couldn’t help but feel a little pleased when Caleb openly licked his lips at the sight of Fjord’s body. Calloused fingers brushed over Fjord’s pecs and stopped to eagerly twist and tease at his nipples. Fjord let out his own heated moan as he jerked at Caleb’s ministrations. The wizard chuckled, smug and self-satisfied. That wouldn’t do. Fjord bent down quickly, forcing Caleb’s hands away as he took one of the human’s nipples into his mouth. Caleb let out a small squeak of surprise, and transferred his hands to grasp at Fjord’s hair and shoulders. “Oh,” the way Caleb’s voice was breathy and slightly strangled sent a warm shudder of arousal through Fjord’s spine, “more. _ Bitte. _”

Fjord grinned around the sensitive flesh between his lips as he nipped gently, wringing another desperate whimper from the human. He popped off with a small smirk to look at Caleb. “What was that about me being the loud one?” 

Caleb huffed and placed a hand at the base of Fjord’s neck to draw him in for a kiss.

It was different than the first one they’d shared downstairs. There was a sense of urgency. Intense passion. Fjord’s lips opened easily to grant Caleb the access he wanted. The hot, slick slide of wet lips and insistent tongues paired with clenching hands and grinding hips had happy sparkles of color swimming beneath Fjord’s closed eyelids. This was incredible. Fjord had never felt so intensely before. Never needed someone so badly like he needed Caleb.

Fjord would have been content to just kiss Caleb and lay here in this bed with him for the rest of eternity. But the human writhing beneath him seemed to have other plans. Caleb ran a hand down Fjord’s ass, resting there momentarily before putting all his strength into pushing their bodies closer together.

As their bodies ground and rutted together, Fjord kept a careful eye on the human beneath him. He had to ensure Caleb’s safety. Always watch for any signs of fear or anxiety that might come in to mar the human’s lovely face of pleasured enjoyment. 

For as few times as he’d had it, Fjord had too often had those feelings in bed. And he’d be damned if he was going to put another person through that. Especially not someone he truly cared about like Caleb. 

Caleb pulled away from him for a moment as Fjord leaned back slightly to enjoy the full view of the human beneath him. His lips were kiss-swollen; face and chest flushed red. Those lovely, blue irises were blown wide into voids of darkness as his pupils dilated with need. Caleb smiled up at Fjord and hummed softly as though deep in thought.

_ “Mein Gott, wenn du nicht der atemberaubendste Mann bist, den ich je gesehen habe. Es ist mir eine Freude, dich meine zu nennen, Liebling.” _

Fjord had no idea what Caleb was saying, but he absolutely adored the thick Zemnian phrases and it sounded musical to his ears. 

Caleb was absolutely lost in pleasure, and for what seemed like the first time, Fjord was actually there with him. 

Still watching Caleb’s face, Fjord reached down and meticulously undid the laces of Caleb’s breeches. The human groaned with the contact, thrusting his hips upwards into Fjord’s palm. Fjord peeled back the sides of the cloth to reveal Caleb’s cock, hard and twitching. He couldn’t help but stroke over it once with lightly curved fingers, careful not to scratch the delicate flesh. 

“Fjord,” Caleb moaned.

“I’ve got you, Caleb,” he replied earnestly, as his free hand fumbled with the laces on his own pants. “I’ve got you.” It took a little bit, but Fjord was finally able to free his own cock. 

That same little prickling feeling of inadequacy he’d felt earlier flared back up as he struggled not to feel self-conscious. The difference between the human and half-orc were obvious. Not just in size (though Fjord knew he was a bit on the smaller side for a half-orc), but in the shape as well. 

“_ Mein gott _ …” Caleb said, eyes practically glowing as he took in the sight of Fjord. “ _ Einfach atemberaubend _.” 

“I...uh…” Fjord tried to make his tongue work. To say _ anything _intelligible, but it was difficult. His mouth felt like it was full of sand. 

Caleb must have sensed something was off, because the next thing Fjord knew the wizard had grasped both of Fjord’s cheeks and pulled him closer to where he could only focus on Caleb’s face. “Fjord, you are simply breathtaking,” he said. “_ Einfach atemberaubend _,” he repeated. 

The human spoke so earnestly that Fjord found himself lost in Caleb’s honesty and adoration. He felt some of the tension leave his body as he sighed in relief. Fjord let himself lean down and close the distance between him and Caleb’s mouths once more, followed by the lowering of his hips. 

Caleb groaned greedily into Fjord’s mouth as their bodies made contact. Fjord started circling his hips gently as he gripped Caleb’s hip with one hand and the other wound into the wizard’s hair. The thrusting and grinding had both of them leaking with desire, and it wasn’t long before Fjord found himself on the very edge. “Caleb,” he panted onto the wizard’s jawline. “Caleb, I- I’m- I’m close.”

Fjord felt Caleb nod as a slender hand slipped in between their bodies with expert timing and dexterity. The slightest touch of Caleb’s hand against his cock made warmth and sparks of energy shoot through his entire body. Fjord grunted and growled into the human’s neck as he came in between their bodies. His cock twitched and jerked as he spilled his seed. The action must have tipped Caleb over the edge as well if the beautiful wail was anything to go by. Caleb panted and writhed under Fjord as the pair rode out their climaxes together. 

The music of Fjord’s partner enjoying himself, the sight of Caleb’s flushed throat bared to the room, and the feeling of slick warmth between them was incredible. It was like nothing Fjord had ever experienced before. It was heavenly. 

After a moment or two, Fjord felt a wave of exhaustion come over him. He sighed heavily and rolled over to his side to avoid crushing Caleb under his weight. Fjord was a bit surprised when Caleb rolled back over to press in close to him. The wizard nuzzled in close to where his head was tucked under Fjord’s chin. Fjord let himself wrap an arm over the human’s thin shoulders as they both laid there peacefully. Caleb muttered a few words into Fjord’s skin, and Fjord could feel the wizard’s hands making small gestures against his chest. Just as he was about to ask Caleb what he was doing, Fjord felt a _ whoosh _ of air against their bodies. With just a few seconds, they were both completely clean and dry. 

“Well… That’s handy,” Fjord chuckled.

“The spell has it’s uses,” Caleb said. 

“No kidding.”

The room felt weirdly quiet as they laid curled against one another. The wonderful feelings from the experience were fading fast, rapidly being replaced with more doubt. Fjord glanced down to look at Caleb’s face. He looked peaceful. Satisfied. Happy. The emotions on the human’s face were honest, no lies anywhere to be seen. It brought a quiet stillness to Fjord’s racing mind, and he was finally able to close his eyes once more and relax himself into Caleb as they both drifted into a quiet afternoon nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Mein Gott, wenn du nicht der atemberaubendste Mann bist, den ich je gesehen habe. Es ist mir eine Freude, dich meine zu nennen, Liebling _= My god, if you're not the most breathtaking man I've ever seen. It's a pleasure to call you mine, darling. (I’m not 100% sure on the translation. I used Google translate... )
> 
> I know it's been a while since I last updated this, and I'm sorry about that. Life's been crazy. But I hope that you all enjoy it! Much love everyone <3

**Author's Note:**

> Special shoutouts to the Widofjord Discord for cheering me on, and specifically to Dadton who read the first chapter and gave me some good feedback.
> 
> __  
_Thanks for reading everyone! Much love <3_  



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